A couple of weeks ago I found what appeared to be a pair of mint O22 switches with controllers for $25.00 on an auction site. I won the auction, but I was very displeased when I got an invoice for $54.00 with shipping. I decided that even $25.00 each was a good price so I let it go. A few days later, I received a box 30"wide by 8" deep by 4feet long. In the box were my two switches with two pieces of curved track attached to the outs two pieces of straight attached to the thru legs and both switches and controllers mounted to the most perfectly formed maple finished 5/8" thick pre cut roadbed I have ever seen. The unit was built by a company called KITTWORKS. The company was based in West Virginia in the Clarksburg area. It was founded in 1996 by a Lionel employee who designed several accessories for the company in recent vears. I tried to contact the company, but they are defunct. I received a catalog with my module showing other modules they made, (crossovers, straight, curved segments and others. checked back at the website and found one other curved section like mine and and two crossovers. I tried to get the other curved section, but got sniped at the last second. I had thought to make a circle around the Xmas tree with this beautiful track if I had gotten another curve. The site has listed no other kittworks products I will see if I can figure out how to post a picture. If you ever run into their products, Buying one or two just to show would be a special item.
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Yeah, I was watching both of them too. Looked pretty nice. Didn't bid, I'm not the sniper on this one....
Gilly
That appears to be the stuff produced by the fellow who designed and built Tom Snyder's Standard Gauge layout. Tom's layout does NOT use that product, but it was mentioned in the TM Video "Celebrity Toy Train Layouts Part 2" that features Tom's layout. I'll need to refer to the video again to catch the fellow's name. But I'm sure before I get around to doing that, someone here already knows the name and will post it. Happens all the time.
The video is fairly old, but the Kittworks stuff looks first class all the way. Sorry to hear it's no longer being produced. But I guess demand for it didn't warrant continued production.
Hopefully, you'll be able to find a few more sections in the marketplace to create what you're thinking about. Happy hunting!!!
David
they may as well be manual switches with the controllers inches away from the switches. doesn't look like something anyone couldn't do with a ban saw and a router.
Thanks for sharing the story.
Yes, the "switch out" module is what I got. I would like to have a second one to fabricate an xmas tree loop, but they seem to have gone viral The last one I found on e-bay was a buy it now for $70.00 plus $25.00 shipping. The current auction bid was $44.00 and there were 8 interested parties tracking the bidding. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut until I had 2 units.
John Kitterman was the owner. I have several pieces of Kittworks pieces, most of what I used for TMCC demo's and the stuff is terrific. It is a shame the company isn't still around but they we more of a specialized modular setup.
"doesn't look like something anyone couldn't do with a ban saw and a router."
I agree with Overland. Anyone who can use a bandsaw or jigsaw, and run a router, should be able to fabricate this for those of you who want one under the tree.
If you do your own, and have your tools, you are only out the price of wood and the time. If you have to pay the person mentioned in the first paragraph to do it, buying it from the auction could be cheaper....but you won't know until you get one done by someone. What I see in the picture is not that hard to fabricate.
I can see it done with exotic woods: teak, ebony or just use cherry, oak or walnut! Though stained pine, fir, poplar or just nice birch plywood would suffice.
Greg
quote:they may as well be manual switches with the controllers inches away from the switches.
Manual switches wouldn't be non-derailing.
Not my cup of tea, still the item pictured in the Ebay auction looks to be nicely done.